Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-16
TUESDAY, AUGUST I6, 1887.
FOraker,s FaIlacies.

FOraker's Eallacies.
Governor John B. Foraker has con-
tributed to the Forum for September
An article under the head of "The Re-
turn of the Republican Party" which
admits of good deal of just criticism.
The title itself is very vague, and might
mean almost anything. Amongst
cher things it might be construed into
a return of the Republican party to the
old, bad practices which brought about
its expulsion from power, or it might
mean its return to power itself, or its
return to the elements from which 1t
was evolved. Waving all these per-
haps immaterial objections, and ex-
tending a gracious indulgence to the
Governors selection of title for his
essay, it is evident from its contents
that he refers to the return of his
party to political control at Washing
ton, a contingency which would seem
to ordinary people one OF the remotest.
He assumes the rehabilitation of his
party ON two grounds: 1.) In sub
stance the "bloody shirt" although
he bitterly deprecates the use OF this
word. (2.) On the different attitude
of the Democratic and Republican par
ties upon the tariff.
In his first postulate the Governor OF
Ohio assumes that the colored people OF
the South are debarred from exercising
the rights of suffrage conferred upon
them by the several constitutional
amendments. This is simply begging
the question. The South, by univer-
sal concession, has never been so pros
porous or harmonious as at present.
His theory is also at variance with the
extraordinary growth of the Republic
an vote in such States as Tennessee
and Kentucky, where the large ma
iority of the colored voters belong to
the Republican party. While it is
possible that, here and there, in out
of-the-way communities at the South,
some pressure may be brought to bear
upon the colored vote, there is grave
doubt as to whether it is as great or as
oppressive as the duress to which
many employers of labor in the East
subject their operatives. 1t is, not half
as shameful as the disfranchisement
of the poor white man in the State of
Rhode Island. AS long as the South
maintains its pres mt conservative and
dignified attitude, all the Forakers on
the continent, together would fail to
get up any excitement. In fact, out
ride of the Western Reserve OF Ohio,
and few other spots consecrated to
political bigotry, such an effort will
react against the Republican party.
In this connection Mr.. Foraker en-
deavors to excite his readers by pic
turing the administration OF Mr..
Cleveland as grossly subservient to
the South, and as anxious to glorify
the lost cause and he makes much
use of the rebel flag episode. Doubt
less if the Ohio Governor had written
his article for the November instead
Of the September number of his
chosen magazine he would have
materially modified his position ON
this subject. He would have had an
opportunity of seeing how fiat all this
clamor fell upon the ears of people
who recognize the common sense and
moderation Of Mr. Cleveland's course
all through an incident which, in its
outcome has reflected nothing but
honor upon himself and his admins
tration.
The second ground upon which Mr..
Foraker predicates the return of his
party to power is that the Republicans
favor protection and the Democrats
free trade. Neither of these PROPOSE
tions is true absolutely. Many of
the lie lding Republican journals favor
downright free trade, such as the New
York Times and Eueaing Post, and
some of the recognized chieftains of
the party are not whit behind these
journals. 1t is not true, either, that
the Democratic party is in favor of
outright free trade. There are inn
mense numbers of Democrats who are
in favor of a tariff for revenue
with incidental protection. The
last authoritative declaration of Dem
ocratic doctrine on this point was con-
tanned in the platform of the Chicago
Convention. on which Mr.. Cleveland
was nominated and elected. The doc
ument distinctively favored the rails
ing of the revenues for maintaing the
national government, economically ac-
,ninistered, through the tariff. Its
trainers went out OF their way to es-
press sympathy with the wage-earning
class, disclaimed any desire to unsettle
the industries Of the country and